Soldiers ‘fed up’ at plan to fill in for striking workers over Christmas, senior former commander warns

‘Troops are facing the same cost of living issues as everyone else,’ says General Sir Richard Barrons

Government plans to use troops to break strikes and keep public services running have drawn warnings of discontent from the military and claims that the armed forces face being politicised.

Former commanders and serving senior officers say soldiers having to spend their third Christmas in a row working on non-military duties could be bad for morale, and should not be viewed as a solution to what may become long-running industrial disputes.

The government is due to hold a Cobra meeting on Wednesday – the second this week – to discuss “plans to limit disruption since unions first proposed strikes”, after which further details on possible military involvement are expected to be announced.